Maryland | Talbot County / Eastern Shore Maryland

Tilghman Island and Bay Hundred Water Trails

Claiborne Landing to Wade’s Point shoreline loop

Route planning details, access notes, and local verification guidance.

Route location

Loading the route coverage map.

Open access map
DistanceApproximately 3.5 miles round trip from Claiborne Landing to Wade’s Point
DifficultyHard
Typical time3–6 hours depending on Eastern Bay wind
ShuttleCar shuttle
Blackwater River at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Maryland.
River contextBlackwater River tidal-marsh corridor; Maryland regional context only — not necessarily this exact reach.Photo by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Northeast Region via Wikimedia Commons

Need to know

Why this call
This route is documented for planning, but does not receive a Paddle Today score.
View Primary Source

Route alerts

Email me when this route improves

We'll email you when this route climbs into Good or Strong. Every email includes an unsubscribe link.

We only email on a new threshold crossing.

Gauge history and hourly forecast

Use the gauge context and hourly forecast to verify local conditions before launching.

Gauge history & hourly forecastDetailed view

Recent trend

Checking preferred range.

Checking trend.

------------

Hourly forecast

Checking weather.

Loading today's forecast.

Short-route forecast

Checking the next several hours.

Checking the best short-route window.
----Loading--

Quick facts and what's next

Distance, difficulty, shuttle basics, and the near-term outlook before you commit to the drive.

DifficultyhardThe source describes recreational moving water, but shallow rock, current, cold water, debris, and bridge or access hazards remain material.
PermitsCheck posted rulesFollow current Talbot County landing permits, hours, parking, launch/carry rules, Maryland boating/PFD requirements, tide and marine forecasts, and posted closures. The official guide prohibits camping at public landings; no route camping is claimed.
CampingDay tripNo camping is permitted at Talbot County public landings. Use nearby lodging or a separately confirmed campground; do not treat private shoreline or marsh as overnight access.
SeasonMar-NovSpring through fall is the practical planning season, but Maryland water levels, recent rain, temperature, debris, and daylight control every launch decision.

Upcoming outlook

These are early planning reads. Re-check live conditions before you commit to the drive.

TomorrowChecking

Waiting on forecast.

WeekendChecking

Waiting on forecast.

Plan your trip

Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.

Access and shuttle

The official Wade’s Point alternative is a shorter Claiborne shoreline loop along the exposed Eastern Bay and Tilghman Point corridor.

Take the plan with you

Download the canonical route, add a calendar hold, or send a simple float plan to your group.

Start

Put-in

Claiborne Landing
Open map

The route has extensive private shoreline and few legal rest points.

Finish

Take-out

Claiborne Landing return
Open map

Claiborne Landing is the deliberate start/finish; do not substitute private shoreline or the point itself as access.

Plan this segment

Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.

Access caveats and watch for

Access caveats

  • The route has extensive private shoreline and few legal rest points.
  • Claiborne Landing is the deliberate start/finish; do not substitute private shoreline or the point itself as access.
  • The loop is a distinct shorter option and should not be conflated with the 5.2-mile one-way Tilghman Creek route.

Watch for

  • USGS 01491000 Choptank watershed-context proxy and trend
  • wind, waves, wake, tide, current, shallow water, sandbars, bridge/drawbridge traffic, commercial watermen, thunderstorms, and cold water
  • Talbot County permits, 11 p.m.–4 a.m. landing closures, limited parking/carries, private property, and hard endpoint access
  • Tilghman Point, Eastern Bay exposure, wakes, Claiborne Jetty, and return margin

Data and sources

See the gauge, weather, and source notes behind today's call.

Read quality
Checking live inputs.

Pulling the latest gauge and weather. Usually under 10 seconds.

Gauge inputChecking

Waiting on the gauge read.

Weather inputChecking

Waiting on weather.

Next stepChecking

Waiting on enough data to give the next step.

Today's evidence strength is checking

Evidence strength mostly comes down to three things: how direct the active gauge is, how clear the range is, and how fresh the data is.

  • Checking evidence-strength notes.
Gauge, thresholds, and timing

These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.

Gauge siteChoptank River near Greensboro, MD
DischargeChecking
Gauge heightChecking
24h trendChecking
24h changeChecking
Current bandChecking
Rain last 24hChecking
Rain last 72hChecking
Air tempChecking
Water tempChecking
WindChecking
GustsChecking
Rain timingChecking
Ideal rangeNeeds paddler reports
Known low-water floorNot calibrated yet
High thresholdNot calibrated yet
Evidence strength behind the rangeOfficial data source
Gauge observedChecking
Paddle Today updatedChecking
Main source behind this scoreTalbot County and Maryland DNR water-trail wind, tide, and access guidance
Gauge sourceChecking
Weather sourceChecking
Rainfall sourceChecking
What to know before you go

These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.

  • Named moving-water corridorTalbot County/DNR Eastern Bay and Tilghman Point Trail Wade’s Point loop, Approximately 3.5 miles round trip from Claiborne Landing to Wade’s Point

    The official Talbot County/DNR water-trail guide names the corridor, route option, distance, difficulty, public endpoints, and wind/tide posture.

    Source

  • Authoritative public accessClaiborne Landing to Claiborne Landing return

    The official guide gives the managed public landing, GPS, launch type, permit/hours, parking, and carry posture for the named endpoints.

    Source

  • Proxy flow and tidal evidenceUSGS 01491000 Choptank River near Greensboro watershed-context proxy

    This station is not local to every Talbot route and no numeric safe-depth cutoff is claimed. Use current tide, wind, observed depth, charts, and endpoint conditions.

    Source

  • Camping postureNearby basecamp only

    The Talbot guide states camping is prohibited at public landings; no on-route campsite is claimed.

    Source

  • Live gaugeUSGS 01491000, Choptank River near Greensboro, MD

    This is a clearly labeled proxy or route-context station; local water, tributaries, releases, and weather can differ materially.

    Source

  • Approved route imageryRights-cleared public-agency or public-domain corridor image

    Rights-cleared Maryland public-river image used as regional moving-water context; it does not certify Talbot County tide, wind, depth, access, or route hazards.

    Source

Check the source links

Paddler reports

See recent photos and notes from people on the route.

Help build the route page

Add photos or send a quick condition report.

Photos

Upload route photos

Add access, hazard, or on-water photos.

No files selected yet.

Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.

More in Maryland

All 140 routes

More on Tilghman Island and Bay Hundred Water Trails

All 8

Nearby routes by distance

Tilghman Island and Bay Hundred Water Trails paddling FAQ

What water level is good for paddling Tilghman Island and Bay Hundred Water Trails?

Paddle Today watches Choptank River near Greensboro, MD and uses Not calibrated yet as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.

Where does this Tilghman Island and Bay Hundred Water Trails route start and end?

This route starts at Claiborne Landing and ends at Claiborne Landing return, about Approximately 3.5 miles round trip from Claiborne Landing to Wade’s Point on the water.

Is this Tilghman Island and Bay Hundred Water Trails route good for beginners?

This is listed as a hard route. Treat the live score as a planning aid, then confirm conditions, hazards, access, and group skill before launching.

See something outdated?

Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.